Noted American Historian Writes Book on J. D. C. Role in Saving Jews

November 15, 1960

NEW YORK (Nov. 14)

The publication of a book on Jewish survival, containing important facts on the history of the Jews since 1914, was announced here today by the Viking Press. The author is Herbert Agar, noted American historian and one-time editor of “Courier Journal,” a daily newspaper in Louisville, Ky. The book, entitled “The Saving Remnant, “lays special stress on the period of Nazi barbarism and the rescue of those who survived. It is dedicated to “the workers of the Joint Distribution Committee, in recognition of their selfless devotion.”

“The Saving Remnant” is the story of major world events since World War I, with particular emphasis on the effect of these events on Jewish communities throughout the world. It traces the work of the JDC from its inception, in 1914, through the holocaust of World War II, giving many examples of the organization’s scope and responsibilities. It follows JDC workers into Poland and France, Morocco, Iran and Israel highlighting the immense difficulties which they had to overcome in pursuit of their mission of aid.

Mr. Agar, a Pulitzer prize winner for his work on American history, made a thorough study of JDC’s background and current activities and also visited the tragic spots where European Jewry suffered most during the years of Nazi persecution. He also went to Israel; it was, in fact, “the vigor of the new State, its glamor and the fascination of the stories told by those who had fled there from Europe” that made the author decide to discover “what lay behind this unprecedented experiment of forming a nation from the remnants of a people scattered in many lands.”